The present invention generally relates to computer apparatus, and more particularly relates to power supply structures incorporated in computers.
A basic component typically incorporated in a computer is a power supply box that functions to receive AC electrical power from an external source thereof and transform the received power to a relatively low DC voltage that may be fed to various electronic components such as circuit boards, disposed within the computer, via an appropriate outlet wire bundle extending outwardly from the power supply box and having suitable connectors on the outer ends of the wire bundle leads. Power supply boxes of this general type are sold by various manufacturers in a wide variety of mass produced standard configurations. Because of the quite low cost per watt of these standard configuration power supply boxes they have been very attractive to many computer manufacturers who purchase large quantities of these commercially available structures and simply incorporate them in their finished computers. This use of off-the-shelf power supply boxes by computer manufacturers works well, and substantially reduces the overall manufacturing cost of the finished product, in the case of relatively small personal computers in which only a single power supply box. However, in larger capacity computers such as rack-mounted computer systems it is often desirable to provide the computer with a redundant power supply system, utilizing a plurality of power supply boxes, that functions to assure a continuing power source to the computer system in the event that one of the multiple power supply units fails.
This redundant power supply requirement typically precludes the use of standard off-the-shelf power supply boxes and requires, instead, that custom-designed power boxes (specially designed and fabricated by either the power supply manufacturer or the computer manufacturer) be utilized in conjunction with paralleling circuit boards within the chassis housing the power supply equipment to provide the desired redundant power supply characteristics. The necessity of custom designing special power supply boxes for such a redundant power supply application greatly increases the cost per watt for each power supply box, thereby undesirably increasing the overall cost of fabricating the particular computer system utilizing the specially designed power supply boxes.
It can be seen from the foregoing that it would be highly desirable to provide an improved redundant computer power supply system that can economically utilize a plurality of standard, off-the-shelf power supply boxes. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such an improved power supply system.